Exposed: Special Issues Regarding Agent Orange, Coal Mine Dust & Radiation Exposures

The U.S. Armed Forces used a variety of chemical defoliants to clear dense jungle land in Vietnam during the war. Agent Orange (named for the orange-colored identifying stripes on the barrels) was by far the most widely used herbicide during the Vietnam War. Many Vietnam-era veterans believe that their exposure to Agent Orange caused them to contract several diseases and caused certain disabilities, including birth defects in their children, and now their grandchildren. This book provides an overview of how Congress and the judiciary have addressed the concerns of Vietnam-era veterans and briefly describes some of the current issues raised by Vietnam-era veterans. Furthermore, underground coal miners face the threat of being overexposed to coal mine dust, which can cause CWP and other lung diseases, collectively referred to as black lung disease. The book examines the extent to which the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) used recent CWP trend data as a basis for its proposed exposure limit; and expert views on ways to lower the level of dust in coal mines, including their associated advantages, disadvantages, and cost. Finally, this book discusses the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). The RECA was enacted in 1990 and provides one-time cash benefits to certain persons who participated in atomic weapons testing or lived near the Nevada Test Site during periods of atmospheric (above-ground) atomic weapons testing. Benefits under RECA are also available to certain uranium miners, mill workers, and ore transporters who worked in the uranium industry between 1942 and 1971, when the federal government stopped its procurement of radiation for the atomic weapons program.